Think of it this way: no Homecoming hangover = more opportunity for fun without begging your friend for an Advil out of her purse.”
With Hampton’s homecoming season approaching –and with it, droves of alumni, locals, and family– it’s about time to go over preventing unwanted Homecoming outcomes. Specifically, how to prevent the “Homecoming Hangover.” Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You can feign innocence now, but when the morning light comes streaming through your blinds the next day and you groan, you’ll wish you had my three tips.
1. Do NOT test your limits
For many students, especially freshman, it may be the first time you’ve experienced being around large parties or alcohol. You’ll feel like a sugar-deprived kid in a candy store gorging on every sweet in sight. I am telling you – begging, actually – to PACE YOURSELF. If you haven’t gone out all semester, or if you’ve never drank more than a sip of your mom’s wine, homecoming is NOT the place to test your limits. Homecoming is a time when campus is packed full of unfamiliar faces, and you don’t want to be incapacitated, especially not around hundreds of strangers. Stick with what you know you can handle, and if you aren’t sure, err on the side of caution. Your body will thank itself the next day.
2. eat before you go out
Eat before you go out. No, the setting spray you inhaled at 9 AM does not count. Neither does your Starbucks drink. Neither do the fries you grabbed off your friend’s plate during the tailgate. Before engaging in homecoming festivities, eat real, carb-heavy food. Eating food will drastically reduce your chances of having a debilitating hangover the following morning. It will also prevent a hanger-induced crashout when you remember no restaurants are open late in Hampton. Think of it this way: no homecoming hangover = more opportunity for fun without begging your friend for an Advil out of her purse.
3. drink more… water
Before you buy that S10 lemonade, or hop in a crowded Uber, consider drinking water instead. If you ignore all of my advice (please don’t) at least listen to me here. Drink WATER. It’s incredibly important to stay hydrated at all times. Even if you aren’t planning on drinking, you should still stay hydrated in such a crowded, chaotic environment. Fainting at homecoming isn’t fun, and it definitely puts a dampener on the mood. After all, you can’t line dance if you’re dizzy with dehydration.
If you listen to my three tips and put them into practice, you should be on track to a hangover-free homecoming. After all, Homecoming should and will be many, many things, but painful is not one of them.